


The Way Back

by Aerilon452



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Angst, Complete, F/M, Super Angst, mission, two part story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-01-25 18:00:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18579682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aerilon452/pseuds/Aerilon452
Summary: It's been two years. Carol and Ezekiel haven't seen, nor have they spoken to each other in that time. He's not the same man she remembers and brings forth a risky plan to strike a blow against the Whisperers.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story will be in two parts. Pt.1 is SUPER ANGSTY I warn you now.

It was two years to the day that the communities re-unified, the Kingdom fell, the Prince died, and the King and Queen split. It took a while, but the Kingdom found a new home, smaller, but fortified enough to keep the dead out. Two years since the King last sent a message.

 

ALEXANDRIA:

 

Carol found herself eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Kingdom representatives. She knew Ezekiel would be one of the ones to attend the Conference of Leaders to discuss the ever-lingering problem of the Whisperers. Standing with the others of the council, she watched the gates open and immediately her heart fell. Ezekiel wasn’t there. Jerry rode at the head of the ten-person contingent. The moment Jerry had two feet on the ground, she went to him and asked, “Where is he?” She thought this would be their chance to start again. She hadn’t been countered on the taste of bitter disappointment filling her mouth. 

Jerry hadn’t seen Carol in a long time. His heart leapt at the sight of her, but immediately fell as he said, “He didn’t want to come because he knew you were here.” 

“Where is he?” Carol asked again. This time her tone was harder.

“If you can find him, somewhere between here and D.C,” Jerry answered. If he could see Ezekiel reunited with Carol, it would go a long way towards healing the rift in their community. 

 

VIRGINIA WILDERNESS:

 

Carol had set out immediately with her bow and her wits. She headed towards D.C, but soon peeled off into the woods. After so many years of humans running and hiding, the trees and plants had reclaimed the world. It took her a while, but she found tracks that belonged to Ezekiel and they were a week old. She followed them until she found a little camp, but it was abandoned. The tent was much larger than she would have thought it should be. Going inside, she searched through the scattered blankets she found the last thing she should have; a long blond hair. There was a moment of anger, of betrayal, as she closed her hand over the hair, but then something caught her eye. It was a large paw print.

Carol left the tent to search the small camp again, looking for fresh tracks; man or animal. It took her longer than she would have liked to find fresh tracks, but through sheer determination, she found them. She followed them even deeper into the woods. The path it led her strayed closely to the territory claimed by Alpha and her pack of sycophants. As she prepared to take another step a feeling came over her. She was being watched and not by anything human. It wasn’t a walker either. When she turned, arrow ready to be fired, she saw the face she had longed to see again. Ezekiel. But he was different. His smile was gone. The light from his eyes had gone out. He appeared physically different as well. His full head of dreadlocks was gone; shaved on either side, leaving just a line from front to back. The dreads that remained where braided, adorned with red feathers. 

Ezekiel stood silent, watching Carol watch him. He fought against the feelings rising inside of him, chief among them was his love for her. It had been two years since last they saw each other, since last they’d even spoken. Two years since she walked away from him and their life. She still looked as amazing as ever with her hair cut short to her shoulders. It wasn’t a good sign that her hair was short. “What’re you doing here, Carol?” he asked, his voice distant.

“You didn’t come to Alexandria,” Carol said.

“Why would I?” Ezekiel asked with a nonchalant shrug of his right shoulder.

“You lead the Kingdom,” Carol replied, testily. 

“What Kingdom?” Ezekiel asked with a scoff. “My home is gone. My sons, dead. My wife walked away.” 

Carol took a step forward, but a warning growl held her fast, prevented her from moving another inch. It was then she saw a large, golden lion walk out of the trees, and over to Ezekiel’s side. Then from the left a large white lion appeared. “Where did you find them?”

“Go home, Carol,” Ezekiel said and turned to start to walk away.

“That’s it? You’re just walking away?” Carol asked, completely dumbfounded. 

“You walked away first,” Ezekiel tossed over his shoulder. He continued to walk back into the woods with the lion following him. 

Carol’s heart broke.

Ezekiel wanted to turn back, to let go of all the hurt that had been festering for two years, but he couldn’t. As much as she had been hurting, he had been suffering as well. He lost two sons, boys he’d taken into his heart after their blood father died. Rather than uniting to help weather the storm of their sorrow she cut him out of her life. Though, like the fool he was, he let her. 

Carol let him fade into the greenery. Even though his words cut her deeply, she knew she earned them. She had walked away first, but she wouldn’t walk away now. Ezekiel had been the best man to ever come into her life, to give her his time, his understanding, and his love. She had been so blinded by her grief, she overlooked he was also in pain. That was her mistake to correct. She wanted her husband back and the first place to start was by putting her ring back on. Removing the leather cord from around her neck, she removed her wedding band from its safety. She returned the gold band to her ring finger. 

Carol couldn’t run off after Ezekiel, not now. She had to take a page from the book he used to handle her. When she wanted isolation, he would show up every so often to check on her. Carol was going to do the same for him. She was going to keep showing up and try to rebuild the trust. 

 

DAYS LATER:

 

The day was warm, the sun shining, and the dead off elsewhere. Ezekiel lay in a clearing with his lion companions, Cole and Khan. The lions with him were three years old, or that was his best guess. After the winter gave way to spring, he’d been out and came across the two young ones. Sadly, their mother had been taken by the dead. With a little meat and some time, he built a relationship with the two magnificent souls. They saw him as their Rex – or King – and part of their pride. It was a nice feeling to be a part of, to have the affection of large felines again.

Under Ezekiel’s head, Cole shifted, and the soft short fur of the lions under belly tickled the back of his head. He found himself chuckling and the sound drew Khan closer, his head landing on Ezekiel’s abdomen, making him grunt. It was restorative lying in a meadow, soaking in the mid-day sun, and feeling as if the world hadn’t ended. Idly, he ran his hand up and down Khan’s slowly growing mane while he pretended it was just a normal day. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to last. The rasping groaning of the wasted reached his ears. Cole and Khan heard it as well. Slowly, as not to startle his companions, he sat up seeing two shambling dead bodies coming towards them. 

Ezekiel picked up the small crossbow pistol, took aim, and fired an arrow at one of the wasted. It went down and he had just nocked another bolt when the second corpse went down. And there was Carol with her bow. Cole and Khan reacted to sudden the change in mood. Khan rubbed his cheek, scent marking Ezekiel in the process. Ezekiel in turn, rubbed his cheek against Khan’s. But the affection of his feline brothers could not turn the tide of his souring mood. “What do you want, Carol?” he asked, not needing to raise his voice. 

“I came here to check on you, to see if you need anything,” Carol answered him. She moved her hand to catch the sun glinting off her wedding ring. She wanted him to see her wearing it to let him know that she was ready to fix things. He waited for her for months, going by her choices. The least she could do was return the favor. 

Ezekiel placed a calming hand on Cole’s back as well as one on Khan. “I have all I need,” he answered her simply, carefully. His tone had to remain even, so he wouldn’t rile up his lion companions. They watched Carol with curious gazes. She was a stranger to them, a potential threat, but they were still young enough that they wouldn’t act without seeing how their leader reacted and Ezekiel was the dominant force. They deferred to him.

“Are you sure?” Carol asked. She opened her satchel and pulled out a pomegranate, showing him. While she waited for him to make up his mind, she kept her eyes on both lions as they watched her. 

Ezekiel exhaled carefully, taking those first few steps towards her. Cole and Khan stayed where they were, but this time they issued a little warning growl. He looked back at them and made a sound that he’s picked up from his work at the zoo before the fall. It was a sound that a mother lioness made to ‘talk’ to their cubs and the cub in turn make the same sound. Instinctively, Cole and Khan reacted to it, being put at ease. Confident his boys were going to stay where they were, Ezekiel turned back to Carol, asking, “Do you think this is going to work?” He motioned to the fruit she held in her hand. 

“I thought it was fitting seeing as you used it on me first,” Carol replied lightly. She hoped that this gesture would be the first building block to making their marriage work again, to bringing them back together. 

“That’s assuming you see me as the same man as I was back then. I can assure you, I’m not,” Ezekiel pointed out with a hint of a snarl.

“Say whatever you want,” Carol replied with a shrug. “I’m not giving up,” she stated.

“Too little, too late,” Ezekiel responded. Two years too late to be exact. Where was her sentiments when they were both hurting over the death of Henry? She left him broken, hurting, with no harbor from the raging storm of his grief. He was bitter over being abandoned so easily by her. Before, when he’d been all about hope and the future, he would have been able to forgive, but then his second son was taken from him by another cruel monster. He was all out of forgiveness and he was all out of trust.

“I don’t believe you,” Carol said. She was trying not to take what he was saying to heart. She knew she had a lot of lost time to make up for and she was going to own it. Carol didn’t expect him to take one look at her, and they would be madly in love again. It was time to fix what was broken between them. She would stick it out and treat him the way he treated her in those early days, with patience and a small degree of charm. 

“That’s your choice,” Ezekiel replied. He returned to his boys and they disappeared back into the trees. Part of him was happy to see Carol; the part of him that still loved her more than anything. He had tried to shut the door on their life more than a few times, but it always came creaking open to fill him with the emotions that had made their marriage magical. Living as he did now, he couldn’t let those emotions take him over again. He didn’t want to risk being destroyed by her again should she choose to leave. He wasn’t as trusting anymore.

 

THAT NIGHT:

 

Even though Alpha and her merry band of lunatics had the area’s walkers corralled in a quarry, there were still those shambling bodies that still roamed free. As it was, it wasn’t safe to sleep on the ground anymore. One of the first things Ezekiel had done was to build a basic tree house in a tree that was low enough to the ground to accommodate the comings and goings of his two growing boys as well as be high enough to let them sleep in safety during the night. And it had to be strong to accommodate their combined weight.

Ezekiel had found the work helped to ease away the rest of the guilt that opening his heart to the two lions hadn’t manage to get rid of. The camp Carol had found was one they used for mid-day naps. Lions were easily exhausted during the day and only perked up in the early morning cool weather. Unfortunately, though, he hadn’t been able to finish the work himself and had to enlist the help of Jerry. His friend had been happy to help, but they didn’t talk. It also gave his lions the chance to be around someone else, to get to know another human to socialize with. 

Cole and Khan had come back from where they each had chosen to feed and now, they were lying around like the big, lazy cats they were. Ezekiel sat on a large log staring into the flames of the camp fire while he waited for his meat to cook. In the distance a twig snapped, and the boys were up and alert, their ears listening intently. Ezekiel himself pulled his knife, waiting. Was it a friend or foe?

“Hey, boss! It’s just me!” 

“Jerry,” Ezekiel scolded, but in an affectionate manner. The man had grown to be a close confidant and even closer friend. Jerry hadn’t stopped him when he withdrew from the world. He didn’t keep him from finding some measure of peace amidst the broken pieces of his life. Jerry stepped up and took charge of the remaining people of their community and kept his apprised of any major developments. If s serious decision needed to be made, then Ezekiel would make it. Until then, Jerry was doing a fine job of leading.

Jerry set foot carefully in the camp. He watched Cole and Khan for their reaction to him. It had been months since last he’d seen the lions and he hoped they remembered him. To put them at ease, he made the sound Ezekiel had taught him and they came over, rubbing their big faces against his legs. “They remember me! Awesome!” Jerry exclaimed, albeit quietly. 

Ezekiel pinned Jerry with a speculative stare and accused lightly, “You told Carol where to find me.”

Jerry didn’t stop scratching the underside of Khan’s chin as he replied, “Not in so many words, I didn’t.” He knew it was risky to even tell Carol the general area that Ezekiel liked to roam around in.

“Jerry…” Ezekiel stressed his name. Cole reacted to the tone and came to him, rubbing his face against his. Ezekiel returned the gesture and even added a good chin scratch. On the days he missed Shiva, Cole and Khan sensed it, and being the social animals they were, they would draw him into playing with them. It always made Ezekiel smile. 

“She would have given me the ‘look’ until I told her. You know how people crack under that stare of hers,” Jerry explained. 

Ezekiel didn’t want to talk about Carol anymore. Instead, he pulled out a notebook and tossed it to his friend. “This is the information I’ve gathered on the quarry so far. From what I’ve seen, there are two weak spots that if given the right ‘push’ landslides will bury most of Alpha’s wasted army and seal some of her lunatics in with the rest.” 

Jerry flipped through the pages, skimming the notes about the size of the walker horde, as well as the suspected numbers of Alpha’s actual followers. “One problem. How are we going to trigger a landslide?” He came to the rendering of the quarry and the points of interest Ezekiel had mentioned. 

“I’m sure Eugene can cook up some gunpowder,” Ezekiel said confidently. They managed it back in the Old West before the serious advent of technology. The Chinese had had it for hundreds of years before the rest of the world did. 

“I’ll take this to the council of leaders tomorrow,” Jerry promised. “Though, are you sure you don’t want to speak to them yourself?”

“I know you can handle it,” Ezekiel stated softly. 

“Yeah, but it would carry more seriousness if it came from you dude,” Jerry replied.

“I’ll consider it,” Ezekiel said begrudgingly. For him to travel to Alexandria, he couldn’t leave Cole and Khan behind. There would be no telling what trouble his young lions would get into while he was gone. 

“Don’t worry about them,” Jerry said. “We have a wagon modified with a cage large enough to transport them together, should you choose to speak to the other leaders yourself.”

Ezekiel shook his head. “I guess you made up my mind for me,” he said.

“Are you ever going to tell Carol the real reason you’ve been living out here more than you have back at the community?” Jerry asked out of curiosity. 

“She would tell me I’m ill-equipped to be a scout and being out here is foolish,” Ezekiel said humorlessly. That was he old Ezekiel, the one who was a dreamer and believed in the general goodness in people. That version died the day his son did. “She doesn’t need to know.”

“Yeah… that’s not going to go well for you,” Jerry remarked sarcastically. 

Ezekiel reluctantly agreed with that. 

 

ALEXANDRIA:  
THE NEXT AFTERNOON:

 

The gates opened for Ezekiel and his lions pacing back and forth in their temporary cage. He knew his boys didn’t like it, but it had to be done for the time being they were among other people. Before he acknowledged anyone, he went to check on Cole and Khan. They rubbed up against the cage, but they weren’t panicked. They were curious as only young lions could be, but Ezekiel wouldn’t let them out. It would be too dangerous for the others assembled. “I’ll be back soon and then we’ll get you out of there,” he promised them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Carol coming towards them. Ezekiel clamped down on his emotions.

Carol couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw Ezekiel come through the gates of Alexandria. He looked as noble as ever, but fiercer with his new style. “It’s good you’re here.” 

Ezekiel leveled his gaze with Carol and said, “I didn’t come to see you.” It was gruff and cold of him, but he only planned to speak to the other leaders and then leave. In truth, being around so many people set his teeth on edge. He preferred the company of Cole and Khan, preferred losing himself to the simple life.

“I know,” Carol replied knowingly. And that was all she said. Giving him her softest smile, she turned and preceded him towards the meeting house where the leaders were waiting. She would represent the Kingdom alongside Ezekiel and Jerry.

Four tables were set facing each other; two against two. Alexandria was next to Kingdom facing off against Oceanside and Hilltop. From Alexandria, Saddiq, Rosita, and Gabriel took their seats. Oceanside sent three new faces. Hilltop sent Daryl, Connie, and Yumiko. Kingdom was represented by Ezekiel, Carol and Jerry. Except the former King did not sit. He took the place at the podium.

“I’ve been conducting long term surveillance on the Whisperers, learning their movement’s, and assessing the size of their dead army. Alpha has them all corralled in a quarry; one way in and one way out. But I’ve spotted two locations, that if blown with dynamite simultaneously, will cause a catastrophic landslide sealing in her army and crippling her position,” Ezekiel informed. There was no time for his once colorful embellishments or his need to rally the masses. He told them what he had learned over months and months spent sneaking over the border and watching them for hours on end. All while he conveyed his knowledge, Ezekiel felt the burning stare Carol directed his way. Years of marriage told him she wasn’t happy. “I know the best places to plant the explosives and when they’re ready, I’ll take two volunteers with me to get the job done.” He didn’t go to the table. He left the meeting house to let them discuss everything amongst themselves. 

Carol couldn’t believe what she had heard. Ezekiel had been living out in the wild for months, risking his life to gather knowledge against a serious threat, and he hadn’t even thought to ask for help. Now, he wanted two people to accompany him on a suicide mission. Well, she would be damned if that was going to happen to her husband, but she could see he was also determined to do this. She wasn’t going to let him do this alone. 

“Is this really a good idea?” Gabriel asked after watching the kingdom-less King walk away. 

“I’ve gone over all the notes he’s made and it’s doable,” Jerry replied, passing the notebook around so the others could look through it as well. 

“Who’s going with him?” Yumiko asked. 

“I will,” Carol said without so much as a second thought. 

“Anyone else?” Yumiko looked around the room. 

 

******

A few hours passed while Ezekiel stood by the large cage containing his two boys. They had settled down and were watching the people who ambled by without getting up and being overtly curious. He looked towards the meeting house to see the delegates coming out. They all looked less than pleased, but also resolute that his information was accurate and his plan the only course of action. When he saw Carol, his heart instinctively leapt with joy, but he fought to keep that feeling off of his face. Next, he saw Daryl, and it was easier to shut down. Ezekiel still had a lot of pent up resentment towards the man who had been entrusted with the life of his young son. In the cage, Cole sensed his shift in mood and growled. He looked to the young white lion and whispered, “We’re going soon.”

Jerry hurried over to his King and said, “Yo, heads up, you’re not going to be happy.” It was all he had time to say before his voice carried over to Carol. 

Carol, joined by Connie, Daryl, and Yumiko walked over to where Ezekiel stood with his caged lions. “The council agreed to your plan with a few modifications,” she said and then motioned to the four of them. “In addition to the two volunteers you asked for, we’re sending two extra people. That’s us.” 

Ezekiel ground his teeth together so hard he thought he might break a few of them. “No, not you, or him” he said in a low voice and then tracked his gaze to Daryl. 

“Yeah, well, you weren’t there for the vote,” Daryl replied gruffly. He saw the way Ezekiel clenched his fist. The man wanted to hit him. 

Behind Ezekiel, Khan and Cole got up to pace nervously. He snarled, “Fine. Meet at my camp when Eugene has the dynamite ready.” Without a look at Carol, he headed for the gates. He trusted Jerry to drive the wagon and bring the lions home. Right now, Ezekiel had to walk off his building rage. He’d never been this angry before. It was nearly strangling him. 

Back at Alexandria, Connie signed to Daryl. “Have you ever seen him that angry before?”

Daryl shook his head. In all the years he’d ‘known’ the King, the man was generally happy, reveling in life and loving his family; especially his wife. The rage – and it was rage – was something Daryl had never seen from his before. Not even when thy were at war against Negan and the Saviors. He touched Connie’s shoulder, and then pulled her in against him. To Carol, he asked, “You think he’ll try to stop us from going?”

“No. He may not like it, but he’ll accept us going with him,” Carol answered promptly. Like her two friends, seeing anger boiling in Ezekiel was new, but then again, a lot of things about him were new. Even seeing this side of him, she wasn’t afraid because she knew he would never raise his hand against her.

“Somebody better tell him that,” Yumiko remarked.

Carol furrowed her brow staring at Ezekiel’s retreating form. 

 

A WEEK LATER:

 

Ezekiel hadn’t slept. Cole and Khan were pacing, sensing something coming their way. He felt it too, unfortunately. Jerry arrived with the wagon at the same time Carol, Daryl, Connie, and Yumiko did. A week was not enough time to digest the fact he was going to be going into enemy territory with his estranged wife, a man he would like to beat bloody with his fists, and two women who barely knew him. Ezekiel was not awake enough to deal with the four of them. So, he chose to address Jerry first. The man’s consummate smile lightened his heart for a few seconds. “Take Cole and Khan to the lodge. Keep them distracted and well fed until I return.”

“You got it, boss,” Jerry said. Then in a hushed tone he asked, “Are you going to be okay going out with them?” For him, he hoped the time spent together would hep bring the King and Queen back together. Mutual danger usually did the trick. 

Ezekiel glared. This was going to be the longest week of his life. “Chain the gate when you get there,” he said rather than answer the question because he wasn’t sure he had an answer. Jerry nodded.

Once Cole and Khan were loaded and Jerry was heading off, Ezekiel then began to get ready. He moved through the camp breaking things down to stash in the hollowed-out tree. After that, he picked up his pack and motioned for the others to follow him. They moved through the woods towards another area he would frequent. It was where he kept a cache of weapons as well as other provisions. 

 

TO BE CONTINUED…


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me say sorry that it took me so long to finish this story. My brain only had inspiration to finish my fourth novel. The first draft is now finished and I can take a break before I start the second draft. While I was in a rest period, I knew I had to finish this fic!

The day was spent in silence. Ezekiel was at the head of the group, leading them towards another, smaller camp he used when he went fishing. It was also where he kept a cache of weapons and provisions. He signaled everyone to stop. A walker was trapped in the wires he used as a first line of defense. Ezekiel pulled his blade, went over and jammed the blade into the dead things head. He used a little too much force and the dead head was pinned to the tree. Ezekiel rolled his eyes, leaving it and his knife where it was. He moved over to one of the trees where he pulled up a camouflaged hatch.

Daryl looked around, seeing remnants of a life he used to live when he’d been trying to look for Rick, or his body. For a moment, he shared a look with Carol, and he could see in her eyes that she was worried. This was not the King everyone knew. This was a man beaten down and broken, just looking for a quiet moment of peace. 

Ezekiel concentrated on the task at hand, forcing himself to think about every action, every move his body made rather than pay attention to the others moving around behind him. He took out another knife, sipping it in the sheath on his belt, then another went into the sheath in his boot. After that, he took out a sword that Jerry had found and given to him as a gift. It was a black bladed katana with a tiger carved onto the pommel. Standing up, he carefully slid the blade into the scabbard. Along the tiger’s eye lacquered finish SHIVA was carved in a fine slowing script. 

Ezekiel closed the hatch and then moved over to one of the trees near the water’s edge. There, around the trunk, he had fishing line tied off. He started pulling the line out of the water to retrieve what he had hidden in the water. The top of the first plastic covered canteen. As he kept pulling, four more canteens appeared. Working quickly and quietly, he un-bagged the canteens, feeling the coldness of the steel. 

Since the other three were giving him space, Yumiko decided not to follow their lead. She went over to the creek bank and knelt down next to Ezekiel, helping him get the canteens out of the ziplock bags. “How long have you been living out here alone?” she asked. 

Ezekiel glanced over at her and replied, “I don’t always live out here. I split my time between here, the Haven where my people re-settled, and the lodge.” The lodge was a spacious cabin built out in the woods just a day’s walk from where Oceanside resided. They never found it because the woods were too overgrown and the pine trees too dense. It was the former home of a reclusive man who believed in the end of the world. The main line of protection was a steel beam/rebar fence that had been put to the test shortly after Ezekiel discovered it, and the remains of the man that used to live there. It was also the safest place for Cole and Khan, as well as being somewhere they couldn’t escape from. 

Yumiko didn’t press for more information. She picked up two of the cold canteens and carried them over to Daryl and Connie. When she turned back to get the others, he was there, his expression neutral as he handed one to her and the other to Carol. There wasn’t so much as a glimmer of happiness in his eyes when he looked at his wife. It was a hard thing to see. 

Ezekiel forced his body to remain passive when his fingers brushed Carol’s as she took the water bottle from him. It was just the briefest of touches, but it was enough to set of sparks inside him. He still loved her with all the heart he had remaining. Though, more than anything, he wanted to give in to the warmth, to let it wash away the hurt. 

“Thank you,” Carol said softly. She almost reached out to place her hand on his shoulder, but he backed away too fast. Quickly, she covered the flash of hurt she didn’t want him to see. She wasn’t going to guilt him with her hurt feelings. That wasn’t who they were. 

“We have to go,” Ezekiel said, walking away. He took to a path through the trees that hugged the bank of the creek. It would offer them protection as well as a modicum amount of safety. The silence helped to calm his raging emotions. All of them for Carol. Having her close again was making his heart break and it brought memories to the surface that he would rather keep buried. Most of them were about Henry when they were a family. They had been so happy together. And then in one fell swoop it was all gone – potentially forever. 

Carol watched Ezekiel from where she was walking beside Yumiko. She could tell her husband had gone inside himself, traversing memory lane, and probably not the most pleasant of memories either. She wanted more than anything to go to him, to take his hand in hers, and tell him that it was going to be okay. He wouldn’t accept it though, just like he wouldn’t accept her touch. It hurt her to know that, but she was determined to build their relationship back up. Though, she knew she needed a catalyst to break through his anger and his pain. She didn’t know what that was just yet. 

The small group had walked for close to three hours when Ezekiel had them stopping. They had come to a large pine tree he used mainly for observation. Sometimes, though, he used it for concealment when he would get trapped by a small group of Whisperers that were mixed in with the wasted. “We stay here until night fall, then we continue on,” he said.

“We can’t move around at night,” Daryl stated, his voice taking on a small grumble. He didn’t like the idea of being out in enemy territory. He’d already faced the Whisperers at night. Daryl wasn’t eager to do it again.

Ezekiel scoffed. “It’s safer here than anywhere else,” he said blithely. “This area isn’t as heavily patrolled as any other section of Alpha’s territory. The ones here are lazy and knock off at night. They stay in a rundown shack over that rise. I’ve seen them more than a few times.” Then he shook her head and stopped talking. No amount of words would convince the other man that what Ezekiel knew was true. He turned his back on them and took a few breaths to calm himself. It wouldn’t do to lose his temper – which seemed to be on a shorter fuse lately. Then, someone tapped him on his shoulder. Looking to his right, he saw Connie. She signed, asking if he was okay. He nodded. 

Connie wasn’t convinced the King was truly all right. So, she asked again, her hands moving to convey her question, “Are you sure?” She knew Daryl could rub people the wrong way, especially with his gruff manner. It was especially tense between the two men given what happened to young Henry. She missed the young man every day, and she had only known him a short time. 

Ezekiel signed: Yes. She wasn’t going to accept his answer, but she wouldn’t push the issue. So, to distract her, he pointed up into the canopy, signaling she should take a look up. She furrowed her brow, telling him with body language that she was confused. Chuckling lightly, he set his hands on her shoulder, pulling her close, and then pointed up again.

Connie looked up again and then saw a platform. She mouthed ‘oh’ and then smiled. Clueing into what he meant for them to do, she set her foot on the lowest large branch, and hoisted herself up, climbing towards the platform. Up a few more feet, she was able to grab the edge of the platform. She climbed up onto it, and then peered over the edge to see who was following her. None had. They were still on the ground staring at Ezekiel. Connie grabbed the nearest pinecone and dropped it down to get Yumiko’s attentions. Then she made a confused gesture. 

“You three coming or what?” Yumiko asked moments before she started her climb. It was awkward on the ground with Ezekiel, Carol, and Daryl. The King had this air of anger swirling around him and she didn’t want to be around when he finally let it loose. 

Ezekiel didn’t answer her. He looked at the other two and he made sure his face conveyed, ‘Well, you going up or not?’. When they said nothing, he shook his head and put his foot on one of the branches. He was about to hoist himself up when Carol’s hand touched his shoulder. The touch of her hand went right though him, straight down to his soul. He gripped his hands on the branch and said, “You either stay down here or come up with the others. Doesn’t matter to me.” He shrugged off her hand and started to climb.

“You weren’t kidding when you said he was angry,” Daryl said in a whisper. 

“I can fix this,” Carol replied. “It’s just going to take a little time.” 

“Is that before or after we blow up Alpha’s army?” Daryl asked, shooting her a skeptical look.

Carol just looked at him. Then following Ezekiel, she climbed the tree, but when she reached the platform, she didn’t find him. Before she could ask, Connie tapped her leg and then pointed up a little farther. There he was sitting on another perch, his back to them. If she wanted – and she really wanted to – she could go up there and confront him. Except, they were close to the boarder Alpha had set up and too much commotion would draw attention to them. That she couldn’t risk. But she wasn’t going to let him go too much longer without having it out with her. She knew her husband well enough to know that he was sitting on a secret and he was unwilling to share it unless she pushed him to do so. Whatever it was he was holding on to was killing him inside. 

Ezekiel took to a higher branch where there was a small opening, he could use to keep watch on the horizon. He was up high enough, and concealed well enough, that no one could see him unless they knew what they were looking for. It was hard to concentrate when he felt Carol’s eyes on him, burning holes into his back. He refused to let her know her gaze was affecting him. They had to get through this then he could vanish into the woods and rejoin the little pride he’d formed with Cole and Khan. There was no place for him in Carol’s world. Not anymore. Not after the choice she made. Not after the solitude he’d gotten used to. Even he knew he was lying to himself. He didn’t want to be hurt by her again.

******

Night was fast approaching. The brilliant blue was giving way to an inky blackness. There was a full moon nestled among the clouds, robbing them of the silvery light. Walking through the fractured moonlight helped Ezekiel to bury his anger. Seeing Daryl and Carol talking with ease made him clench his fists. He couldn’t stand the man, not after what he’d learned from one of the Hilltop residents about Henry’s fate, and Daryl’s hand in it. Seeing them like that, he could tell from his wife’s demeanor that she didn’t know.

If Ezekiel wanted to make her suffer – on his darker days he had entertained that notion – he would tell her what her best friend had set in motion regarding their son. At the end of the day, he wasn’t that cruel, and he couldn’t take anything away from her. He wanted to get this done and go his separate way from her. She was trying to have it both ways, her friend and him. Ezekiel doubted he could give himself back to her and he didn’t want to think about a future where they were together. He would constantly be wondering when she was going to leave him again.

It wasn’t lost on Carol that her role and Ezekiel’s had been reversed. At one time, he had come around to check on her and she was the one longing for solitude. He had respected her space while still showing her that he cared about her wellbeing. She had to do the same for him. Back then, she knew what she was walking away from, and still she did it. Her pain was all she could think about. She had to heal herself first, but somewhere along the way, she let him get too far away from her. It made her all the more determined to get him back, to show to him that she was serious about fixing them. Ezekiel was, and will always be, the love of her life.

After about an hour, Ezekiel came to a stop near a thick stand of trees surrounded by thick, thorny brush. Carefully reaching into the dark greenery, he gripped a wooden toggle, and he tugged. The thick woven brush separated from the nearest tree and he pulled it open, ushering the others inside. It would be close quarters for them all, but he had no choice but to put them all in there for a while. One of Alpha’s night patrols would be coming their way in another hour. They had to hide for at least three. He moved the brush aside and turned to find Carol standing there. Choking down his flash of anger, he said in a soft, clipped voice, “Open the hatch and get inside.”

Carol didn’t say anything. She did as he said, ducking under his arm, and in the darkness, she found the handle of the hatch, pulled it up and dropped down into the cavern. It was going to be a tight squeeze. After her, Yumiko dropped down, followed by Connie, and then Daryl. She heard the rustling and scraping of wood against wood, then Ezekiel was dropping down into the hole with them. “What is this place?” she asked when he squeezed himself in next to her. It was the only space left for his bigger frame. 

“It’s a bolt hole,” Ezekiel answered softly. He’d found it about a year ago when he’d been looking for a place to hide after nearly being caught by a few of Alpha’s people. Behind him, Carol shifted, and her arms snaked around his waist. Automatically he tensed. Being held by her shouldn’t still feel as god as it did. It took all he had to keep from sinking into her hold. In the dead silence, leaves crunched. Collectively, they all froze. 

Daryl kept his eyes on the on the hatch, his crossbow at the ready. Next to him, as best as she could, Connie had her slingshot in hand. Yumiko had a knife in her hand, so did Ezekiel. The moment turned tense when the slight shuffling they could hear stopped right where they were hiding. Daryl kept his finger on the trigger, eyeing the handle waiting to see if it would move. That’s when he noticed the latch wasn’t locked. Taking a chance, he nudged Ezekiel’s foot. He could tell the man was glaring at him. Shaking it off, he motioned to the bolt. 

Carol started to reach for it, certain she could slide it home without making a noise when Ezekiel’s hand clamped down on her wrist. His grip wasn’t painful as he squeezed, silently telling her to leave it. There was nothing that could be done about it now, not with the Whisperers outside. She lowered her hand back down, resting it over his abdomen where she felt his muscles tense at her touch. Then came the rustling of bushes. 

Ezekiel tried to relax but having Carol’s arms around him felt too good after being separated from her. Try as he might, he couldn’t completely bury his feelings – his love – for her. He tightened his hand on his knife, gripping it so tight that his hand started to ache. The pain cleared his mind of confusing emotions and allowed him to get back to the task at hand. Survival. Revenge. This was the first time Ezekiel wanted revenge more than anything. 

“This area’s clear…”

They all held their breath as the whisper reached their ears. It sounded so loud in the silence of the night.

Carol curled her fingers into the fabric of Ezekiel’s shirt and rested her forehead against his braid. She didn’t like that they were this close to danger and there was nothing they could do to fight their way out if they were caught. Ezekiel had planned this out, she told herself. He was a changed man and that made her sad. She didn’t see any sign of his idealistic dreamers’ nature. That was what she loved most about him. 

The time passed interminably slow. Then, the rustling stopped, and the shuffling of dead feet moved off. Collectively, they all sighed in relief. 

Sharing one look with Daryl, Ezekiel nodded that they were now safe to leave the hidey hole. He pushed the hatch open, making the bushes rustle as he climbed out. There were some habits he couldn’t break, even if he tried. He thrusted his hand down, offering it to Carol, to help her out. The gesture was ingrained in him, even if he didn’t want to do it. She gripped his hand tightly and let him pull her up. Even though he knew her capable of it, he still slipped his arm around her waist to help her over the briar bush camouflage. It was then, standing close together, the more cracks started to form in his emotional barrier that was trying to protect his heart from her. Ezekiel reached up, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. She smiled at him and it was that smile that cut right through him. In the next second the moment was over. He backed away, shaking his head.

Carol felt the loss of him immediately. She moved aside so Connie, Daryl, and Yumiko could join them. Even though she wanted to stand next to Ezekiel, she made herself stay where she was. From their little moment she learned he still cared deeply about her, that despite his roaring protests, he still wanted her just like she wanted him. It gave her renewed hope that she could fix thing between them. Hope, though it was an insidious, dangerous emotion, welled up inside her. 

“Now where?” Yumiko asked. She tried to ignore the elephant in the circle. The King and Queen had been having a moment in enemy territory. Not the best place for it, really. 

“Follow me,” Ezekiel murmured, setting off. He had to get some distance between him and Carol. He had to get his head on straight. She made him want to go back to how he was before. That was something he couldn’t do. Not until Alpha was dealt with, or at least crippled. 

 

*******

 

The sun was an hour away from rising. They had kept a steady pace through the night and hadn’t encountered anymore of Alpha’s people or the dead. Soon they would be at the quarry where the army of the dead was being corralled. They had to take away the bulk of Alpha’s power first.

Moving out cautiously from the shadows to stand on a ledge, Ezekiel knelt and waited for the others to join him. Down below the gasping moans of the dead could be heard. It was enough to send a shiver of fear up the spine. The one who knelt next to him was Carol. Try as he might, he couldn’t keep from looking at her. This was not the first time they faced danger together. No matter what he said, she was going to go with him. This time, Ezekiel couldn’t afford to argue with her. So, he got on with it.

Ezekiel pointed to the first of two targets they needed to blow. “I’ll take half of the explosives, along with someone to watch my back….”

“That’ll be me,” Carol stated in a tone she had adopted from her time as Queen of the Kingdom. Her King didn’t refuse. He only nodded. She thought she would see regret in his eyes. Either he was fighting with all he had to keep his emotions in check, or his mental trip down memory lane had put a few things in perspective for him. 

“Connie and I’ll take the other half and go for the second location,” Daryl said when Ezekiel pointed to it. When they got there, he would trust Connie to set the bags of dynamite.

“Make sure the fuse is as short as you can make it. Once you light it, run,” Ezekiel told Daryl. He had given up all pretense of being the King after Carol left him. There was no sense in going back to it now. 

“You too, man,” Daryl replied and took the satchel with the dynamite in it. He and Connie set off for their blasting site. 

Carol took the second bag while holding Ezekiel’s gaze. His look was clearly not happy about her holding onto the explosives, but she wasn’t going to give him the chance to argue with her. To Yumiko she said, “We’ll be back soon.” 

“I know, I got you covered.” Yumiko nodded to both of them and watched as they headed towards their target.

Ezekiel led the way through the darkness easily enough. He’d been this way many times during his incursions into Alpha’s territory. At least time he’d be able to get a little revenge for her savagely murdering his son. Their son. Carol was as much a mother to Henry as he’d been his father. Henry wouldn’t want him to still be angry at her, he knew that. But knowing something and doing something were two different things. As much as he wanted to, he didn’t know how to let go of the anger he still harbored towards Carol for leaving him.

There were a million things Carol wanted to say, but this was not the time for them. Carefully, she resettled the strap on her shoulder and lengthened her strides to keep up with him. Ezekiel always did walk fast when he was angry. Suddenly, he stopped, and she nearly walked right into his back. Her hand braced against his back and she felt him tense. “What is it?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ezekiel turned, pulling Carol into his arms, and putting his lips close to her ear. “We’re being watched,” he whispered.

Carol felt it; he eyes through the darkness. There was a set to Ezekiel’s right and a set to her left. Carefully and slowly, she slid her hand down the front of his chest, down to the band of his pants, finally coming to rest at his thigh where he had his knives. 

Ezekiel’s hands did not remain idle. He brought them down, seemingly to hold her hips, but in reality, his fingers slid into the slots along the hilt of her dagger. “On three,” he whispered, “I’ll go left, you go right.” 

Carol barely nodded, acknowledging his plan. He didn’t speak again, rather he tapped out one, two, three on her side. As if they had never parted ways, they moved in sync with each other, taking out their targets effortlessly and silently. Seconds later, both bodies dropped to the ground; dead for good. She went over to the closest one and pulled off the mask. Another nameless puppet following a deranged lunatic. A second, that was all she allowed herself to feel bad for the dead man at her feet. Then, Ezekiel’s hand rested on her shoulder, squeezing lightly. He wasn’t comforting her. He was telling her they had to keep moving. 

Clouds had moved over the moon, cutting off what little light there was to see by. Blindly, Ezekiel reached back and took Carol’s hand, even though he knew she was already well adjusted to the darkness like he was. He needed to know she was still with him. As angry as he still was with her, with the way she had walked away, he knew that he was closer to forgiving her than he had been that morning. When this was over, they would talk, honestly and openly. 

Before too long they were at the target location. Carol started stacking the sticks of dynamite in bundles of four while Ezekiel stood guard. Every so often, he would glance at her, at the way her hands moved deftly, twisting the longer fuses with the pre-cut shorter ones. “What?” she asked in a hushed whisper. 

“Eugene teach you that?” Ezekiel asked by way of his answer. 

“Rosita,” Carol replied with a shrug of her left shoulder. She was almost finished. The last bundle had to go up higher to cause a good rockslide. 

Ezekiel kept his hand on the hilt of his sword while Carol set the last charge. They still had to trail the main fuse to a safe distance and then run like hell. He and Carol were relatively safe, Alpha had her camp up higher, overlooking her dead army. The Whisperer’s wouldn’t see them, nor would they see Daryl and Connie. Still, he was on the lookout for any movement. “Ready to move?”

Carol put one more twist to the fuse and then started spinning the fuse wheel. As she stood up, she spun the small handheld wheel again. “Let’s move,” she said softly. Carol followed Ezekiel. The small squeak of the wheel signaled their retreat. 

“Is this far enough?” Ezekiel asked Carol.

Carol looked around and nodded. “Yeah, should be.” She knelt down and cut the fuse with her knife. This moment reminded her of all those Old Western movies. The odd memory made her smile gently. It was during the summer, back in the Kingdom, on movie night where Ezekiel had surprised her with a midnight showing of one of his favorite old movies; My Darling Clementine. 

Carol struck the match and lit the fuse. She backed away quickly and nearly jumped out of her skin when Ezekiel grabbed her pinning her to the trunk of the large tree. Shuffling reached their ears next. The shuffling increased, getting closer. Carol dared to glance to her left, barely able to make out four shambling bodies trying to make their way over to the lit fuse as it raced along to the explosive charges. 

Ezekiel went as still as he could, barely breathing deeply. His body shielded Carol’s from view, as was his habit. After all, a King protected his Queen. She was still that to him, deep in his bruised and battered heart. When she looked back, she looked right into his eyes and she saw what she was waiting for. Hope. He was giving her hope that they could work through being apart, through their pain over losing Henry. 

The shuffling of dead feet faded away only to be replaced by a massive explosion and then another. Soon after screams filled the night.

 

CAMPSITE FOUR:

 

It was dawn and everyone was exhausted. After the explosions had sealed in most of Alpha’s army, other walkers had been drawn by the noise and that had been a hard fight back to the relative safety of one of Ezekiel’s campsites. They knew they were in for more fighting, but for now, Alpha had her biggest threat neutralized. She would be scrambling to count her people while the communities had time to rally together and make a plan to end the Whisperers for good. 

Yumiko looked around and then asked, “Now what?”

“We sleep for a few hours and then continue back to Alexandria,” Carol said, glancing at Ezekiel. 

“You sleep,” Ezekiel said softly. “I have somewhere else to be.” He was going to continue on to the Lodge to see Cole and Khan. Leaving them alone with Jerry – even for a day – was dangerous. They knew him, but Ezekiel was the leader. They needed him.

“Then I’m coming with you,” Carol stated, picking up her pack.

“No. Go back to Alexandria and when Jerry arrives, he’ll bring you to me.” Ezekiel shook his head, taking a step back from her. 

“Ezeki…” Carol never got to finish. He pulled her close and kissed her. She didn’t care that the others were around. Ezekiel was kissing her – passionately. That spark between them hadn’t gone out after all. 

Breaking the kiss, Ezekiel said, “Go back to Alexandria. I’ll see you soon.” And then he was gone. Kissing her not only reignited his desire for her, but it also put enough of her scent on him that Cole and Khan would be able to get used to her.

Carol’s head was still spinning from the kiss. They had kissed many different ways during their relationship, but this was something new. Wild almost. It was shocking and alluring at the same time. 

Daryl sidled up to his best friend, muttering, “Are you thought he didn’t love you anymore.” He nudged her lightly, like he’d done many times before. 

Carol wasn’t listening to him. She brought her left hand up, the tips of her fingers touching her lips. Her heart fluttered as if she were a teenager basking in the glow of her first kiss. Ezekiel always did that to her. 

 

THE LODGE:  
THE NEXT DAY:

 

It was ten in the morning and Ezekiel had just woken up. He’d had a late night talking with Jerry and then Cole and Khan had come seeking affection and also to investigate the strange scent all over him. Carol. They were curious but more playful than anything. He’d caroused with them until the big lazy bones they were went off in search of the perfect place to sleep. The lodge allowed them the freedom to prowl around from behind high wrought iron and stone fence that surrounded the perimeter of the solar power lodge. Ezekiel couldn’t call it a cabin. It was much too big for that. 

When Ezekiel had woken up, Jerry was already gone, having left a note behind. Carol would be here by afternoon and it would give the boys the chance to get to know her. Especially Khan. His white lion had seemed particularly interested in Carol’s scent. How would she react to have a leonine admirer? The thought made him chuckle. It took her months – after living in the Kingdom full time – for her to warm to Shiva. Suddenly his heart broke all over. His beloved girl. 

Cole and Khan trotted over, each taking a turn to rub their face’s against Ezekiel. In their exuberance, they took him to the ground, making him laugh. He kissed gold fur brow that belonged to Cole and then he did the same for Khan, kissing a white furred cheek. Then the two lions collapsed, pinning Ezekiel to the ground. He laughed some more. He didn’t know how long they stayed like that, napping in the mid-morning sun. 

The next thing Ezekiel knew a strange metallic tapping pulled him from his light siesta. The boys were already alert. He picked himself up, automatically reaching for his knife when he saw Carol and Jerry at the gates. Cole backed away, uninterested in the arrivals. He went to lie down in the shade to resume his nap. Khan stayed with Ezekiel as they walked towards the gate.

Carol couldn’t take her eyes off of him. He looked so regal and so rugged at the same time, as well as deadly with a fierce white lion by his side. The massive beast reached the fence first, pushing his muzzle against the bars right by her hand. Carefully, slowly, she placed her palm close to the lion’s nose and felt the puffs of hair against her skin. She didn’t know what was happening. At least Ezekiel was smiling. Then the white beast was backing away, as if he was giving his consent for her to come inside the gate. 

Ezekiel nodded at Jerry. His best friend slipped his key into the lock, turned, and the wrought iron gate groaned as it opened enough to let Carol inside. He said nothing while Khan, bored now with having more humans around him, went off to join his brother napping in the shade. Ezekiel shook his head, smiling lightly. Then, Carol was standing in front of him, her hand reaching out to take his. Before, when he’d been furious at her, he wouldn’t have let her touch him. All that anger, the pain faded to the background. Holding her hand did much to bridge the gap between them, much as the kiss he’d given her a day ago. 

“Nice place you have here,” Carol whispered. She kept her eyes on the lions a scant distance away. They appeared to be sleeping, but she wasn’t too sure they would remain that way.

“Let’s go inside,” Ezekiel said, tugging on her hand lightly. 

Carol followed after him watching the way the muscles of his back moved under his flesh. He was relaxed, more so than he had been in the past weeks. Was that a good sign? She wasn’t going to get her hopes up. 

Inside, Ezekiel motioned for Carol to take a seat if she wanted. Instead, she kept standing like he was going to do. He thought that after they dealt a crippling blow to Alpha that he would return to the life of solitude he’d created with Cole and Khan but being with Carol again had changed that for him. To clear the air, he said softly, “I was so angry at you… after. I couldn’t believe you just left me like that…”

“I had to…” Carol said quickly, not meaning to interrupt him. 

“Let me finish,” Ezekiel spoke, holding up his hand to stop her. “We were both hurting, and we could only see our own pain. You chose to leave to find a way to heal and I did the same. As much as I want to blame you for abandoning me, that’s not fair. It’s in the past now. We can only more forward… together, if that’s what you want.” 

Carol knew more than anything that Ezekiel was the man she wanted. He was the very soul of goodness to her and he always treated her like she was the light of his wife – even before she was his wife and his Queen. Closing the distance between them, she slipped her arms around his waist and pressed her lips to his. He was always a fan of words, but she like action better. “I love you,” she said against his lips, “and I never want to be apart from you again.”

Two years apart had torn them down, allowed them to build themselves back up, and be stronger than before. They would be the King and Queen again, but for right now, they were only Ezekiel and Carol. “Nor I from you.” Ezekiel kissed her sweetly, but with a hint of ardent rising passion. It let her know just how much she was missed by him in all ways. 

 

*****

That night, Carol stood by the bay window in what served as a small dinette waiting for water to boil. She wore nothing but one of Ezekiel’s button up shirts. Lifting the collar to her nose, she breathed in the scent of him. It was one of the things she missed – sleeping in his shirt, sleeping with him. He would curl around her, enveloping her in warmth and safety. That was another thing she missed. Ezekiel was the love she had been waiting for all her life and now that they were rebuilding their life together, she was going to cherish him more than she did before. But all that could wait for another day. Right now, she was going to fix them some tea, curl in against his side, and just be with him.

 

THE END.


End file.
